“I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you, I am grateful.”

“When thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.”  Alma 37:37

We have a quote in our study room that says this. SIster Thomas’s mother raised them on it and it has been a huge blessing these past few weeks! I have learned so much from sister Thomas. I love her like crazy. We are pretty much like sisters and so so soooo similar! It has strengthened my testimony that companionships are so inspired and that God knew I needed her to learn and grow from! This week has been filled with great adventures! I have fallen in love with even more of Gods children! Highlights were Abraham servicing a blessing at church, meeting and teaching Keyshla- an 18 year old girl from Puerto Rico who is in the army, Nathaniel’s prayer, the Vaca family at church and teaching Jada. I have learned a lot from each of those people and experiences! The greatest experience I had this week, though small and simple, was praying with Gavin. Gavin is a young lad- 9 years old. We had just taught his mom and were walking out when he walked up to the yard in tears. We knelt down and gave him big hugs. We asked if the neighborhood boys were being mean. He nodded. I wiped away his tears and told him how much we loved him, how much his mom loved him and how much God loved him. We all knelt in a circle and said a prayer, holding hands. Then, after the prayer, sister Thomas whipped out a case of M&M candies. She told him each time he ate an M&M he had to say one thing he was grateful for. She promised as he did this, he would be happy. He smiled and nodded again. It was a tender mercy to see how aware the Lord is of us, no matter how small the problem is. I am so grateful for the way we can express love to others, especially through hugs. Throwback to the MTC, as we were walking down the stairs in the Provo temple, I felt strongly impressed to hug sister Connely. I kept shrugging it off. Finally, I gave her a hug and she burst into tears. She said she had been super homesick and had been praying to God that someone would hug her. She said as I did, she felt her mother’s arms around her. That is a way I was able to show my love to her AND Gods AND her mother’s!

This week, give hugs. Hug everyone! It will heal both the hugger and the huggie. Say, “I am sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you, I am grateful.” As you do, you will spread the love of Jesus Christ!

Thank you all for your birthday wishes! I love you, I am grateful!